Oh the places we have been . . .

Hello all!!! (Be prepared that this one is long . . . so much to tell)

Hope this finds you all doing well back in the US. Dylan and I are still perusing China. It has been so wild of an adventure so far. I decided to join a yoga studio and take yoga classes. SO COOL. My first class was really neat. We used a fit ball (one of those big fitness balls). It was a lot of fun. My second class was called the nature yoga class. It was supposed to be outside but it was a monsoon here for like two days straight. So I have a story about the second class....so I go to the studio a half an hour like I was told because we were all supposed to "walk" over to the place. It is raining like cats and dogs at this point. So they are trying their best to explain to me where the other studio is in their best English but no dice. So I call up Dylan's boss and he proceeds to tell me that they are taking me there and I am OK. So we are walking in the biggest puddles ever to get to this place and it took forever to get there. I would have much rather have taken a taxi but thats beside the point. So we finally get there . . . I got on my new yoga clothes that I got for like $45 three shirts, two pairs of pants and a bag. Good deals trust me. So when we finally get to who knows where I proceed to go and take yoga with the instructor who speaks English thank God and just another student. We finished . . . very cool by the way. Then I thought that we could shower there and so I get there and no towels. ughh!! So I call Dylan and told him I was coming back to his office to meet him for dinner. The yoga girl asks me to walk back with her and after trudging through the pools of water I thought I would wait for a taxi instead. I wait...wait... and wait some more and no dice. So I decide to walk back. I am calling Dylan in the middle of the monsoon rain, puddles up to my knees, lost and trying my best to get back and in the worst of moods. He's asking me where I am at and what I see around me and all I see are buildings with Chinese characters and nothing that looks remotely normal to me. Thankfully I have a good memory and got my way back to him soaked and wet and all. I was sooooooo upset not so much worried about being misplaced just upset that I couldn't find a taxi to save my life. So I get to his office and talk with Dylan's secretary Crystal who is sooooo awesome. Trust me you would love her too. She told me she would have found me no matter what.

So Crystal and I start talking and we decided to go and get a hair cut. This is a new story for you. So we go in and show them the hair cut I want. Then you have to get your hair washed. Actually what you are getting is a head massage. You lay on this table with your head on a pillow like surface which is in the sink. The person washes your hair, massages your scalp, and washes your face and your ears. It creeped me out with them pouring water in my ears and cleaning them out with a q-tip but I managed. Then I decided to get my hair dyed too. All for $45 too. So my hair is shorter....cute but not what I had in mind and a dark brown. It looks hot trust me.

So we are now celebrating Dragon Boat Festival which allows most business people to have Monday off. The significance of the festival is to honor the poet who sacrificed himself and committed suicide. Yeah I know I don't know about that one but Dylan has the day off so good for us. So we went to a huge mall yesterday with an ice skating rink in it. It reminded me of Phipps Plaza or Lenox mall and similar prices too. Didn't buy much but we ate at a neat restaurant that over looked the ice skating rink. Then today we went to the auto show at the civic center area. Amazing!! It makes the GA World Congress Center look like a mini mall. There were girls advertising the cars. Most had Chinese girls all made up with ballroom gowns on and tiaras and then there were some with Caucasian girls that were beaten with the ugly stick way too many times. Then there was me . . . the Chinese men looked at me like I was a super model or something. They kept taking my picture without me knowing it and I when I caught them they shied away. Dylan tried to get one guy to come back and pose with me. Then one girl was posing with me and I didn't even realize it. It was so funny to watch. Many people stare at Dylan and I because we look so much different then them. Kind of funny and getting used to it too.

So after we went to the auto show we went to Lou hou which is like driving downtown Atlanta from Lawrenceville. We took a taxi of course. In Lou hou there is a huge mall with little stores all over the place that sell knock off stuff from purses to shoes and trashy lingerie of course there are other things too but that is what you saw the most of. I was looking forever for a purse and that was a hassle. I also got three dresses made for me for $70. Tailored just for me and if you know my body type that is pretty impressive to say the least. I got a pretty white dress, plaid dress and a white skirt made for me and lined too. I pick them up on Thursday. Dylan got three shirts made too and a friend of ours got a few pants made too. This is going to be interesting to say the least but the things that the guy made were awesome and my grandfather who used to be a tailor would be quite impressed. For dinner we ate at this place that was impossible to find and had the most amazing food. Actually you really can't go wrong with the food here. Anything is good. Just watch out for things that have bones in it and you are good to go. Had some strange ice cream with red beans in it but its pretty good.

Dylan and I are dealing with visa issues right now. We are not in the olympic spirit to say the least. Had it not been for the nutsos who are protesting we would not be dealing with this crazy visa business. Both Dylan and I might have to come back to the US for a couple of weeks to process our work visas. UGHH. Hopefully we can do this in Hong Kong which might not cost us as much. So keep us in your thoughts and prayers that this works out to our best in this situation. We truly love it here and we really don't want to make the long trip back just for a short and complicated process.

Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. We love and miss you all very much. Hope all is well with you and your loved ones.

Best,
Dylan and Amanda